Improved turbine water-wheel



PATENT Arrrcn,

HENRY VAN DE YVATER, OF ALBANY, NE\V YORK.

IMPROVED TU RBINE WATER-WHEEL.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 10,080, dated October 4, 1853.

To ((,ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY VAN DE VA- TFR, of the city and county of Albany, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tnrbine lVater-Vheels; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying' drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Fignre 1 is a longitudinal section through the center of the buckets and chutes, and Fig. 2 a Vertical section in the plane of the axs of the wheel.

The Same letters of reference indicate like parts in each of the figures.

The nature of niy invention consists in the manner or method of expanding and contracting the discharge-openings of the passages between the buckets or fioats of the wheel, in combination with that for regulating the admission of the water to the same, so as to regulate the discharge according to the head under which the wheel is worked and the amount of work to be done by it, so as to obtain the maximum effect of the water.

I construct my wheel of the following proportions: In a wheel of five-foot diameter, which is the size represented in this case as an example, I have fifteen buckets to twelve chutes-that is, five buckets or floats to four chntes. This proportion or ratio of buckets and chutes applies equally well to wheels both of a less or greater diameter to the ex- I tent to which I have constructed Wheels and will be found to give the best effects under Varying heads.

Let A be the penstock, B the chute-chamber, and O the turbine or revolving wheel.

The chute-chamber is composed of a circular plate a, slightly convex on its inside to direct the water to the chutes, an annular ring Z) and the twelve partitions c forming the chute passages. The annular ring rises perpendicular from its upper face several inches and terminatesin a flange by which the whole chute-chamber is permanently secured to the under side of the penstock. The wheel -c is also composed of a circular plate d, an

annnlar ringe, and fifteen partitions f, forming the passages of the buckets or fioats, and it is permanently keyed to the shaft g, which passes through a box in the plate or bottom of the chnte-chamber and a stufiing-box in the top-plate of the penstock, and the lower end of this shaft, which terminates in the form of a pivot, rests on its seat in the bridgetree h. Thus the whole turbine or outer wheel is suspended and free to revolve around the boxed chute-chamber. The wheel in this instance is constructed to receive the water from above. A oircular band z' is placed on the outside of the circumference of the chutechaniber and between it and the inner circuinference of the wheel for the purpose of regulating the size of the openings of the chnte-passages, which may be constructed so as to rise and fall as represented in the drawing or in any other convenient manner.

j is the circular gate for expanding and contracting the discharge-openings from the outside, which consists of a hoop or band the height of the buckets, fitting accurately the outer perimeter of the wheel and provided with openings through it corresponding in number to the passages between the buckets. These openings are beveled to suit the cnrves or lines of the buckets, so that the water will leave them with coinparatively little shock. This gate is about an inch thick and terminates at the top edge with a fiange 7;. Resting on the upper face of the annular ring of the buckets, in the inner edge or circnmference of the flange, which is about one inch broad, are cut teeth, forming a rack, and working through a stuffing-box in the upper plate of the penstock, and in the annular ring of the buckets is a rod Z, to and near the lower end of which is attached a small pinion m, which has teeth corresponding in size to those of said rack. This rod is capable of being raised and lowered and turned round by means of the hand-wheel n, so a-s to gear and nngear said pinion With the rack on the flange of the circular gate at pleasure Thus when it is desired to expand or contract the buckets so as to alter the size of the discharge-openings of the buckets, all that is necessary is to press down the rod Z until the pinion of it meshes into the rack of the'circulargate. it by means of its hand-wheel until the gate is adjusted to the position desired. A suitable scale or index can be easily applied to the rod and wheel, so as to indicate at all times the position of the gate and by which the size of the openings can be regulated to Then turn considerable) and to the amount and nature of Work to be done by it. The best result is produced by my Wheel When the gate is adjusted so as to run at a Velocity of only onev sixth due to the head when the Wheel is performing its Work.

most

Having thus fully desoribed the construction of my wheel, what I claim, and ,desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The manner or method of regulating the discharg'e-openings of the buokets from the outside, in combination With the. central gate i, for adapting the Wheel to varying heads of Water and to the nature and amount of Work to be done by it, consisting of the oircular gatej, constructed, arranged, and operated with the wheel, substantially as in the manner herein fully set forth.

In testi mony whereof I have hereunto signed my name before two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY VAN DE WATER.

Witnesses:

THos. DoNoHo, GEO. R. WEST. 

